Giernans
The people from the mountain city state of Gierna. History Gierna was Society Their society is strictly hierarchical with a strong class system that determines one's place. Everyone is acutely aware of their rank and what rights and privileges are allowed them. Fraternization with those too far from one's class rank is greatly looked down on, although occaisonal patronage or mentorship for promising individuals of slightly lower class is relatively common. Families are built on social status; as a parent will pass their rank to their children, lower ranks often try to marry into higher stations. At the same time, due to the society's extremely competetive nature, it is not uncommon for the suitably intelligent, hard working, or cunning to rise above the station to which they were born. Likewise, those born at a high rank must prove their worth in order to keep it. Due to the competetive atmosphere, most of them are deeply suspicious of others and are slow to trust others. Parents tend to train their children in whatever field they believe will help them rise the highest in society; for the lower classes, the main sources of income and aclaim come from occupations involving technical mastery so a lot of importance put on craftsmanship. Higher classes may push their children into trade or politics. Characteristics They are a noteably prideful race; a lot of store is put on personal accomplishments, background, and position in the community. For most, this manifests itself as a sort of swagger in the lower classes and a haughtiness in the wealthy. In some circles, while it is certainly still a main driving factor in a person's motivations and is understood to be present among all major players, they will underplay it considerably; it is seen as socially uncouth to flaunt one's ambitions. An enormous emphasis is put on personal and family gain; children are raised in highly competitive environments to prepare them for the cutthroat conditions that they will experience upon reaching adulthood. With a few notable exceptions, the culture is extremely competitive and inclined to be warlike. Some people carefully walk the line between ambition and caution, but many more inclined to bloodlust and rash decisions. Physical Features Physically, then can be described as birdlike; while they do not have any literal characteristics of birds like wings or beaks, their physical bearing and clothing style tend to make their appearance reminiscent of certain types of birds, particularly those of hunting or scavenging varieties. For clarity, a military leader might have a fierce, hawklike face while a fop might resemble and act like a peacock. An intellectual could be particularly owl-like and criminal elements might have a vulturish look about them. Many of the Giernans, particularly in the upper classes, place great store in elegance. However, their idea of elegance may not match those of other cultures. Their style of dress often leans to the colorful and ostentatious; in fact, those who aren't heavily ornamented are often those that stand out the most. Out of pride for their leviathans, they often use feathers, claws, wings, and other birdlike elements to decorate. Technology Unlike many of the civilizations that are just now beginning to leave their Dark Ages, Gierna is well into an Industrial Age. Motives Though their numbers have dwindled significantly, there are still some immortals living among the *want to control/destroy leviathans *study leviathans for war machines/personal gain *Enormous personal gain and fame *use the second race for their wide knowledge base and ability to more easily communicate with automatons/leviathans/other people City The city of Gierna is a floating city high above the mountains of **NAME**. The area is fraught with lightning storms. It is incredibly cold; the clothing of the citizens reflects this. The city is divided into tiers and sections for the different classes; The powersource is likely a Forgotten Source similar to those that power the leviathans. Leviathan Pargamore :*enormous eagle *maybe gold *proud old man *disdainful of current efforts *cold *forced or coerced into service; most likely starting to go mad Notable Figures :*Military head of the war effort **Inspirations: ***Tywin Lannister ***Scar (Lion King) **Strengths: ***Impeccable military leader ***Good at talking to people ***Logical **Weaknesses: ***Impatient with incompetence ***His young children who travel with him *Political head of the city **Inspirations: ***Lord Vetinari ***Hannibal Lector (not a cannibal) **Strengths: **Weaknesses: ***Prone to overreaching ***Gloating? *Likeable military leader (like Long John Silver) Visual Inspiration Andrew Jackson Peter Cushing Meryl Streep Alan Rickman Ricardo Montalban Jacki Weaver Christoph Waltz Jack Nicholson Javier Bardem Anthony Hopkins Charles Dance